The Grace Proclamator

and
Promulgator

"To testify the gospel of the grace of
God." Acts 20:24

**PUBLISHED
AS A MISSION PROJECT OF PILGRIMS HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH**

Bouquets and
Brickbats

TEXAS: Thanks for the good work you
are doing in The Grace Proclamator and Promulgator, especially
with the articles on Wine, Promise Keepers, and the Scriptural
messages on Starting Churches. Youre right on target.
Enclosed is a small token of our appreciation for the paper, use
as needed.

WWW: I look forward to reading more
of your material on your WebSite.

OKLAHOMA: Daughter churches . . .
Christ and His church wife having daughters . . . Whatever
happened to the "chaste virgin" "espoused" to
Christ? Has the "marriage of the Lamb" come and gone
and I missed it?

VIRGINIA: Although I am not at all
surprised, I am deeply saddened to see that those Baptists who
hold to your position on church successionism have now been
branded as "apostate Landmarkers" and "liberal
Baptists." I look forward to reading your response to this
charge.

TEXAS: I continue to appreciate your
Grace paper. Keep up the good work.

IOWA: Bro. ________ did an excellent
job of misrepresenting what we believe and what you have written.
Bro. _______ has a lot more ammunition than Bro. Wilson, even
though it is the wrong caliber. Hopefully, this issue can soon be
put to bed for awhile; however, I am afraid that many are going
to be left with some erroneous ideas.

VIRGINIA: You have been accused of
not believing in church succession because you do not subscribe
to the formal, link-by-link concept. Most all of the men that you
quoted in your earlier articles believed in church succession,
but not in the formal, link-by-link idea. This is brought out by
________ and other writers. It seems to me that all Landmarkers
believe in an informal, unofficial, link-by-link church
succession. Some Landmarkers insist, however, on a formal,
official, link-by-link church succession. The term "church
perpetuity" is often used in order to make a distinction
between the two Landmark positions. Just a few thoughts.

MASSACHUSETTS: I would like to get
on the Mailing List to receive The Grace Proclamator &
Promulgator. God Bless and Keep staying by the stuff!!!

WASHINGTON: ________ told me that
you have a newspaper that you send out. I have read some things
on your web page and I am always amazed at how much more you open
my eyes to the truth and how you and I believe so much alike. I
would love to get your newspaper and read it. If possible could
you add me to your mailing list, please?

I would really appreciate your sending it
to me. I know that you have a lot of wonderful and truthful
things to say. Also thank you so much for the articles you sent
me for the research I am doing for my book. May God bless and
keep you always.

FLORIDA: Yesterday it (The
GP&P) came addressed to me. I just wanted to write
and say thank you. I enjoy reading it. Yes, I agree with your
position on the organization of churches. You know it just
occurred to me today that with all this emphasis on chain link
there is another question that I have not heard or read
considered. How can these people, who are so dead set on chain
link, be absolutely sure that one of those churches through which
they succeeded was not one of the General Baptist Churches? Were
they not all together at first? Could it not be that a Sovereign
Grace Baptist Church in searching its "ancestry" might
find that it traces back to a General Baptist Church? Were the
General Baptists not Arminian? . . . I know you are busy, and I
will not go on. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate your
sending the paper to me personally.

(EDITORS NOTE: This brother
has raised an issue that many do not like to discuss. I read an
article recently in an issue of a paper dating back to the
70s in which a writer defined a true Church. He insisted
that it must teach the five points of grace to be a true church.
Yet, the church that baptized this brother, according to a number
who know the facts, was rather Arminian in its doctrine. He would
also be hard pressed to prove that there are no Arminian churches
in his churches ancestry. If his position on a true church be
correct, and there is an Arminian church in the ancestry of the
church where he was baptized his baptism is unscriptural. If he
cannot prove there is no Arminian church in his churchs
ancestry, he very well may be unchurched. This extreme position
taken by some must haunt them at times when they know there may
be a broken link back there somewhere.

WWW: Thank you for your article, The
Worlds Worst Possible Famine. I agree with you
completely. I attend a Baptist church where the Word of God is
preached and taught by a very gifted pastor. This man can preach
a whole sermon on one or two verses. Week after week I am amazed
and wonder how he keeps coming up with such good stuff and then
it dawns on me that one reason is that he spends much time in
prayer and always preaches and teaches directly out of the Word.
We are truly blessed in our church.

The reason I am writing is that when I read
your article a thought came to mind which takes us in a different
direction. We have this godly man for a pastor and another godly
man for an associate pastor (also very talented) so we are
hearing the Word as it should be heard and taught but the trouble
is that the people in our congregation don't appreciate what God
has given us. We have a core of people on fire for the Lord but I
see so much lukewarmness in the rest of the congregation and of
course I realize that I can't know what's in a person's heart but
so many people seem to be lukewarm. I can't understand how they
can sit in church and listen week after week and not respond. I
fear this could also bring on the famine you talk about and the
removal of God's lampstand from our church. I pray that our
pastors don't get discouraged and that our sleeping church will
wake up before it's too late. Thank you for listening to me and
for your article.

SOUTH CAROLINA: I am writing to say
thank you very much for your paper. I do continue to enjoy your
teaching very much . . . Thank you and I do look forward to
future issues of The GP&P.

TENNESSEE: I'm glad that no more
time will be wasted discussing link-chain succession when
scripture does not teach it. Please devote more time and paper to
doctrinal issues rather than "mans ways" of applying
them. I know that is proper to correct wrong ideas, but we have
more (?) important truths to publish (like the doctrine of
grace).

WWW: I would like permission to
duplicate your articles on the PKs for distribution in my church
and also to make links to them on my web site (listed below). I
fear many of our people are unaware of this latest danger to true
biblical Christianity and I desire to correct this as soon as
possible.

Many thanks for the hard work you have put
into this.

GREATEST CONFERENCE IN THE LAST TEN YEARS

I honestly believe we have just
had the best conference this past week-end that we have had in
the ten years I have been here as pastor. Every, yes, every
preacher was right on target on his subject. The theme was "There
is No Condemnation Because . . . !" Every sermon was
from the eighth chapter of Romans and God was so very present in
the services. My, how we were blessed and edified.

Another wonderful thing was the
great spirit of unity that prevailed among those present. There
was real fellowship among the brethren and around the word. Why
not make plans right now to attend next year on October 2-4,
1998?